Over the past year or so I've become such a huge fan of Four Roses that a few months ago I set out to acquire all 10 recipes. Normally that wouldn't be so hard because places like Binny's carry them all but unfortunately I live in a state where Binny's does not ship. Fortunately though through various hustlings and with the help of local friends I finally acquired all 10. Now that I've got them all the goal was to review them to see which recipes I liked best. I'm going to start with the OE series in alphabetical order and work my way through to the OB series. So without further adieu...
57.3% ABV; Age 11 years 3 months; Selected by Bourbon Women
Nose: Toasted oak, thick caramel, light rye mint spice. Heat is so tempered you would never guess this is 57%. That's pretty typical of barrel strength Four Roses though in my experience.
Taste: Syrupy wood caramel sugars and a fruitiness like apricots predominate. Light mouthfeel but the flavor intensity is very rich.
Finish: Rye mint is the most prevalent initially. After that resides there is a deep cinnamon heat which gives way to a sugary sweetness, the combo of which is reminiscent of fireball candy. More mint comes into play at the end of the finish as I get closer to the end of of the pour. Finish is very, very long.
Notes: The Four Roses tasting notes for this one are "minty, fruity, and full bodied". Those are pretty much spot on because I get all that through the various phases but the cinnamon finish is a bit surprising. What I like about this one is how the mint rye teases you up front but then comes on bold in the finish. This year's 2014 Single Barrel LE is going to be an OESF aged the same length as this bottle… I can't wait to see how it compares.
Rating: B+
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